New compulsory "Import Fees" from USA to Canada

[what-a-guy-2002]

Member since 2010 (632 100% feedback). I have been experiencing the new compulsory "import fees" policy on items from USA. Surprising! I am disappointed with this policy. It is a negative one on many levels notwithstanding for USA and eBay revenues, as many like myself will now be sure to be motivated to resource items outside of USA, and outside of eBay.

Also disappointing is a story I was told that USPS recently (January 28, 2013) redefined Canada from being an 'intermediary' to an 'international' country, and therefore shipping fees from the USA to Canada have risen 80%!

Must be people in rooms in the USA racking their brains on how to support the USA economy versus just printing money.

[i*m-still-here]

I'm not sure if it will become more difficult selling on eBay, but you are correct.

The policies without a doubt favour American sellers on their own turf.

However.................   I still choose to list on eBay .com as opposed to .ca.

Perhaps some of the issues we experience as sellers are the direct result of the fact that we are in fact encroaching on their turf.

IMO It's BUYING on eBay is the challenge when the seller is in the States.

I don't really believe that it's become more difficult over time for seasoned buyers because we know how to do deal with the issues.

For new buyers......................... that's another story.

Regarding the GSP.............Very roughly ..........

Before the GSP was actually implemented, a study choosing sellers (say about 1,000)  at random.............. all who ship internationally without restriction.

Then dividing them into two groups of 500 each.

One group would have been required to use the GSP for all listings and the other group for none of them.

A comparison of the groups would have given an accurate estimate of the effects of the GSP.

Now......... it would still be possible to do such a study but at this point there are numerous confounds to factor in and it's more difficult........... but possible.

For me that would have meaning and I'd be very curious to play with those numbers to see what they reveal because all I see are the negatives.

It would be easier to forgive if the point of the GSP were visible............... but I can't see it.

[i*m-still-here]

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@bb_cool_stuff wrote:

Just as you predicted Pierre in regards to the Free Shipping Model.

50% & probably increasing. Wow, if the percentages keep increasing we will have to make additional changes to our business models.

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I know this is the buyer's board.............. and as far as free shipping goes........................

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but I've posted several times re: the recent promotion for FREE RETURN SHIPPING.

I didn't check the details, but until the end of July there is a promotion and eBay is footing the bill for return shipping for those sellers who opt in.

That's likely meant for US sellers selling within the States ..................... But.................

That's the next hurdle for Canadians listing on Com.

[bb_cool_stuff]

I think a lot of sellers, in my category anyway, are opting out of the GSP which you predicted.

The increase in USPS Rates coupled with the GSP equalled a large decrease in sales with the sellers i am usually in touch with. Seller Suicide with some noticing a 40% decrease in sales for low priced items with the GSP option.

GSP does have its advantages for higher priced items & like Pierre mentioned previously, worth keeping the thread open in regards to GSP Refunds.

In general we have seen a large shift in selling practises since the New Year. Have never experienced that shift previously, I'm not kvetching, sales are still up, but we have to be very savy with our Business Models.

[i*m-still-here]

""" GSP does have its advantages for higher priced items................."""

I've read that justification numerous times, but as a buyer of high priced items on line (not necessarily eBay)............... I don't buy it.

In fact, IMO.................. the GSP has greater disadvantages for high priced items than it does for those moderately priced.

The GSP probably  works for BIG SELLERS of high priced items who couldn't care less if they sell Internationally or not.

BIG POWERFUL SELLERS THAT IS...........

That, I can buy.

That's why the numbers would be nice to see.

[bb_cool_stuff]

I think it gives the seller a sense of security on a higher priced item.

Whether there is an advantage with US Sellers to use the GSP, instead of another shipping method to ship Internationally, I'm not sure.

You're probably right, I would think most of the Big Sellers have a large enough market in the States &  International Sales are of little concern to them.

[marnotom!]

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@i*m-still-here wrote:

It would be easier to forgive if the point of the GSP were visible............... but I can't see it.

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Maybe this thread from the .com site's International Trading discussion board will give you some idea of the ideas held by some U.S. sellers.  And the OP for this particular thread is a long-time eBayer who really ought to know better:

http://community.ebay.com/t5/International-Trading/Why-is-1st-class-INTNL-mail-even-an-option-If-not...

[pierrelebel]

"......... I don't buy it."

Take a look at: http://community.ebay.ca/t5/Buyer-Central/Great-experience-on-purchasing-a-GSP-item/m-p/133619#U1336...

Yes, some Canadian buyers do have a positive experience with GSP.

There have been other similar posts in the last few months.

[i*m-still-here]

 I too have had a positive experience with the GSP.

If you're interested I'll post the details, but ............................. 

SO WHAT?

That experienced is so minor and the negatives are so much greater that the positive transaction doesn't even register on the radar.

[pierrelebel]

"the negatives are so much greater that the positive transaction"

Instead of listening to so many complaints on the boards, look at your own personal experiences.

How many good experiences have you had - personally - with GSP?

How many bad experiences have you had - personally - with GSP?

Not the "could have been" or "should have been" or "may have been" but actual experiences when an item was actually purchased, actually paid for and eventually received.

[i*m-still-here]

The reason I've only completed one transaction with the GSP is because the other potential purchases I came across using the GSP were so over-the-top expensive that I passed.

The one I completed was a wash, so I bought the item. 

 Occasional buyers will not have the same expectations because their experience is limited.

Since I've been buying on line for well over a decade I know how much my landed cost is going to be and I have a very good idea of the percentage of items I'll have to pay taxes for upon arrival.

No mystery there.

I buy items valued at $1 to over $1,000 and I know what to expect upon arrival and the GSP is way out of wack.

Why would I ,............... and anyone...............purchase an item and pay for it when the total cost is clearly too high?

That makes no sense.

[marnotom!]

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@i*m-still-here wrote:

Why would I ,............... and anyone...............purchase an item and pay for it when the total cost is clearly too high?

That makes no sense.

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Why would anyone purchase from a listing that they haven't read closely enough or fully understood its terms and conditions?

While it's true that the GSP fees weren't fully disclosed when the listings were displayed on eBay.ca (even though they were on the .com site), it seems that this was a glitch of which staff weren't aware and it was rectified.  Still, listings have links to information on the GSP were and are there for users to click on if they're wondering what the deal is about in the first place.

Anyway, you've danced around Pierre's point about negative GSP experiences posted on this board being not representative of an individual buyer's experience.  You're falling into the same trap that some if not many U.S. sellers do when the come to the U.S. site's International Trading discussion board.  They read some of the posts on that board and conclude that selling internationally is nothing but plane crashes, not realizing that successful flights are far more the norm than the crashes.  Not very many people post about the successful flights, though.

Strangely enough, I doubt they'd come to the same conclusion if they read the PayPal discussion board, but I digress.

[i*m-still-here]

I don't think I've danced around the question about negative GSP experiences.

I don't have to touch a hot burner to know it's gonna hurt.

I don't have to complete the GSP transaction to know it's going to be negative.

Same difference.

There is no comparison between posts about GSP purchases and US international sales .

In the case of the GSP issue,  readers can see and verify that  tthe post was accurate.

All the information is there for all to see.  

On the other hand, posts about negative experiences with international sales are clearly biased, one sided, and skewed and there are so many mitigating factors that one can't take them seriously.

And, yes.  New buyers may well use the GSP until they gain some experience............... if they stick around long enough that is.

When I started on eBay I took my hits too.

I remember paying almost $40 shipping for a small package shipped for about $2 and I shut up about it because I thought that's the way things were done here.

Just goes to show yu:  There's always somethin'.

[marnotom!]

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@i*m-still-here wrote:

In the case of the GSP issue,  readers can see and verify that  tthe post was accurate.

All the information is there for all to see.  

On the other hand, posts about negative experiences with international sales are clearly biased, one sided, and skewed and there are so many mitigating factors that one can't take them seriously.

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But as you note later on in your post, when you're a new user, you may think "that's the way things are done around here".

[joleeson7]

Im getting charged 80 $ american for import fees

on a 330 $  jacket 

That's probably more then double what I would pay if it came to the door ...and i dealt with it then !

[marnotom!]

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@joleeson7 wrote:

Im getting charged 80 $ american for import fees

on a 330 $  jacket 

That's probably more then double what I would pay if it came to the door ...and i dealt with it then !

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You may be dealing with an eBay glitch.

I looked up the bomber jacket on eBay.com as well as eBay.ca and the import fees stated are different.

You may have been better off buying the jacket while logged into eBay.com. 

At any rate, it doesn't appear that the import fees were enough to discourage you from purchasing the jacket in the first place.

[copacel]

shame, shame, shame to whoever came up with this fee

[marnotom!]

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@copacel wrote:

shame, shame, shame to whoever came up with this fee

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All international shipping services levy charges to see items cleared through customs and to have any applicable taxes and duties advanced or collected and remitted to the treasury of the importing country.  Even Canada Post levies a C$9.95 charge for collecting and processing taxes due on a postal import.

How would you suggest these shipping services recover the costs involved in customs clearance and the collection and remittance of GST/PST/HST/QST and possibly duties?

[coreyhowe]

Yep I agree. I'm done with ebay. I just got hit with a 14 buck charge on a 62 dollar item. Time to support "Buy Locally"

[pierrelebel]

"Time to support "Buy Locally""

I most definitely agree with you. 

Many items purchased online (eBay and other sites) from the USA can be purchased in Canada, helping maintain Canadian employment.

[marnotom!]

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@pierrelebel wrote:

Many items purchased online (eBay and other sites) from the USA can be purchased in Canada, helping maintain Canadian employment.

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I wish that were true of the items my wife and I tend to purchase on this site.